The Game of Seduction
by limelikesjam173
Summary: It started out as some innocent birthday fun. I dared Edward to seduce me. I didn't dream he would succeed. I had no idea how much he would make me want him. And I didn't know that one night would change everything. Contest entry for the Control. Possess. Seduce. Contest.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: The Game of Seduction**

It was my birthday. This morning I had officially turned 26 years old.

And I was not at all excited. So what if I was one year older? Nothing was going to change.

Squad 17 would disagree. The nine other members of my police unit constantly tried to convince me that birthdays were a big deal. That every stupid holiday mattered. Though that was probably because it was an excuse to party. That was why I was still turning up tonight. Though I wasn't interested in celebrating, I was interested in getting really, really drunk, and the guys had promised to buy me drinks all night long. They might be twenty something men with the maturity of five-year-olds, but they had their merits. Tonight, I would forget how lonely my life was.

Even though I would have been perfectly happy to get drunk on my own, I decided that since the guys were putting in the effort, I would, too. I pulled on a skin-tight blue dress that suited the color of my creamy skin and long dark hair. Looking in the mirror, I had to admit I looked good. Two hours of training every morning at the Seattle Police Department had left me lean and toned, and often made me a target of wolf whistles given the 1:100 female to male ratio at Seattle PD. Most of the time, I let the attention roll off me.

Not tonight.

* * *

The evening was going better than I'd expected. The guys had bought me my favorite donuts, which I happily devoured as I knocked back drink after drink. Emmett, the leader of our squad, surprised us all by offering to buy a round. Jasper, who was usually cool, calm and removed during work, was the life of the party off duty. There were several others too, and they took turns amusing me, talking to me, keeping me entertained. They were as attentive as any guy trying to lure a girl into bed for the night, more so even. The difference was that they weren't trying to sleep with me. We had a solid friend only relationship, like brothers and sisters. Usually it was something I enjoyed. And I did like it. But not as much as I thought I would.

It wasn't their fault. I tried to have fun. I tried to lose myself in the drinking and the laughing and the sometimes-playful-sometimes-not hitting among the group. But after more than five years in the police force, my brain was hard wired to be on high alert 24/7. I just couldn't let my guard down. And it was more than just not being able to relax.

Tonight, I had an itch. Tonight, something was off. I just didn't know how to fix it. I was so absorbed in trying to figure out why I felt so restless that I didn't even notice that Carlisle, who I had been talking to just seconds earlier, was suddenly leaving. Then, sliding onto the bar stool next to me in his place, was Edward.

"Hey Bella, look what I brought you!" He said in the typical too loud manner of a man full of alcohol. With a grin, he placed down a full bottle of tequila. My favorite liquor. If I wasn't already drunk, I was about to be. But right now I was still sober enough to wonder why he was here.

"Don't you have something better to do? Scoping out the females in the bar? Using your legendary charms?" I asked, quirking an eyebrow up at him.

Edward was a player. No questions, ifs, ands or buts about it. He loved the company of women, but never more than once, and didn't care who knew it. Surprisingly, I didn't hate him for his behavior. Edwards was never crass, never took advantage, and didn't kiss and tell. He was as classy as you could be if you had a different woman in your bed every night.

"Who says I haven't been already?" He retorted, pouring us both a drink in two shot glasses he snagged from the bar. "The night is still young, Bella. Plenty of time for all that later. Right now, I'm spending time with you." He explained, pressing the drink into my hands and holding his up into the air.

"To the birthday girl!" He toasted. Eager to drink, I clinked my glass against his and knocked it back. The fire down my throat was wonderful and familiar, making me shiver. Edward didn't seem affected by the liquor though. Instead he looked contemplative.

"No, that's not right. Can't call you a girl, not in that dress." He said, shaking his head. "And not now that you're a year older. Twenty-six. Two-Six. Closer to thirty than twenty!" He exclaimed. I rolled my eyes.

"Women never like talk to talk about age, Edward. You should know that." I replied jokingly. I didn't care about my age, but he seemed to think it funny.

"I do. But since I brought it up, we can't go back now!" He answered with a laugh, pouring a second round.

"To twenty-six!" He exclaimed, and again we both drank.

"So what are you going to do now that you're a year older?" Edward asked, resting an arm on the wooden bar top. I couldn't help but notice the muscles in his arms flexing as he did so, and I wondered if maybe I was drunker than I thought. Shaking my head I flicked my loose hair over my shoulder.

"I'm going to do whatever the hell I want." I replied. Edward grinned.

"An excellent plan. Does that happen to include doing things that are very immature and incredibly stupid?" He queried. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"What did you have in mind?"

* * *

Too many drinks later, Edward and I were a mess. The question of whether or not we were drunk yet had long since been answered. But that didn't stop us from dancing, laughing, and taking the game of truth or dare we were playing with the other guys way too seriously. When the game deteriorated into Eric and Mike wrestling on the floor, Edward and I left the game to move to the other side of the room, leaning against the cool wall as we surveyed the packed bar.

It was then that crazy drunk me asked a crazy stupid question.

"How do you pick up women?" I said, speaking before thinking as the thought popped into my head. Edward stopped mid drink to throw me an incredulous look.

"What?" He replied, staring at me as if I'd grown a second head.

"How do you convince all these women to sleep with you? What's the process? The magic move?" I asked, suddenly intensely curious. Edward was still gaping at me.

"You can't be serious." He managed to reply. Standing up straight, I folded my arms over my chest.

"I am. I want to know. It's my birthday. You have to do what I want." I said defiantly. Edward ran a hand through his hair, collecting his thoughts. For some reason, my eyes lingered on him as he moved.

"Okay, well I guess the first step is finding a target." He said. He moved close and subtly pointed across the room.

"See that woman there? How she's watching everyone around her and holding tightly to her drink? She'll never go home with anybody. She's either too insecure, too worried about strangers, or just broken up with a guy."

"How do you know?" I asked, amazed by the deduction. Edward shrugged.

"Experience. Observation. Because I'm a master of seduction." He bragged. I playfully shoved in the arm.

"You are not, asshole." I retorted.

"Yes, I am." He argued. "I can prove it." He boasted. I gave him a disbelieving look.

"By what, having me watch you chat up some random woman? I don't think so. That's too easy, and too creepy." I replied. Edward turned to throw me an irritated look.

"Then how am I supposed to convince you of my epic skills?" He complained.

Impulsively, automatically, without thinking, I replied. "Use them on me." I said. Edward froze.

"Do whatever you usually would. Chat me up. Persuade me. Then I'll believe you." I continued. I had no idea why I said it. But suddenly, I was desperate for the attention. Edward's gaze on me was fierce, his green eyes intense and unreadable.

"Okay… But let's set everything straight right now. You're giving me permission to hit on you? To try and control you, possess you, seduce you?" He asked, his voice low and husky. Suddenly hyper aware of how close we were, I nodded.

He grinned. It was devilish, mischievous, sexy grin.

"Alright then. Let the game begin."

* * *

This wasn't going how I'd expected. I had expected Edward to flirt, but for the efforts to seem stupid and silly when there was nothing but friendship between us. I had expected for us to dissolve into drunken laughter, when he leaned forward to touch my arm or used an age old pick up line. We didn't. This game was not light hearted and stupid.

It was hot. Intense. Erotic.

I had noticed before that Edward was attractive, but had never considered anything with him. I liked being single, and didn't have plans to change it. But with a restless energy inside of me and tequila burning through my veins, suddenly I was very aware of how handsome he was.

Messy bronze hair that looked like it was ruffled from sex. Eyes that were too green and too intense. Defined cheekbones and a jaw line my fingers suddenly itched to touch. He was tall, too, towering over me even when I was wearing heels. At the moment he had me boxed in against the wall, one of his hands leaning against the bricks above my head. It had been one of the first moves he pulled, his reason that the close proximity built up tension and made things more private.

Well, he was right. So right. My chest felt tight and my breaths were shallow. When he purposefully dropped his police badge and 'accidently' brushed against me picking it up, my heart stuttered.

"Want a sip of my drink, Bella. Yours looks empty." Edward offered, giving me a winning grin. My drink was currently still half full, but that wasn't the point. It was a game. I nodded, and he took my glass from my hands and put it on a nearby table. Then, he handed his beer over, holding my hand for a little too long. As I took a slow slip, he didn't stop watching me, his eyes bright in the darkness of the bar. Shivering under the gaze, I quickly handed him back his drink.

Or I tried to. He was stopping me with another sexy smile, his hand snapping forward to brush the side of my mouth.

"Oops. You had a little something there." He said huskily, his fingers once again lingering. Instead of pulling back, his hand skated up to my hair, brushing it back from my face.

"You have really beautiful hair, sweetheart." Edward commented, as he twisted the dark brown strands around his fingers.

"Thanks." I replied automatically, flushed from his touches, which were growing in frequency.

"It's a bit hot in here to have it down though, isn't it?" He asked.

"Ummm, sure?" I answered, not knowing what to expect next. I jolted as his hands moved down to my neck and swept my hair over to the side, baring the skin of my throat to him. I stiffened at the touch, heat flooding through me.

Edward was right. It was hot. He was hot. We were both hot. Hot with the desire. Hot with lust.

Lust that rocketed up a notch when he suddenly leaned down so that his nose grazed my neck, and inhaled deeply.

"Your perfume is amazing. I've never smelled anything this good." He whispered, his mouth so close to my skin that I felt the air move as he spoke. Instinctively, I knew what was going to happen next, but I couldn't stop myself from gasping as he lightly kissed my throat.

"Mmmm, and you taste even better." He murmured. My legs quaking, I clenched my thighs together.

Oh lord. This wasn't a game anymore. If he stopped I was going to kill him. But Edward definitely wasn't stopping. His mouth was kissing its way up to my jaw, along to my chin. My hands moved to clutch his shoulders and pull him closer, my body alight with electricity at his touch. Soon his mouth was just an inch away from mine, his lips deliciously tempting.

I wanted him to kiss me. I needed him to kiss me. Right now.

But he didn't. He was pausing, his green eyes meeting my own brown ones.

"Bella. I'm not playing around anymore." He said, his voice deep and urgent.

"You better not be." I replied, my voice a faint whisper.

"This is your last chance to stop things." He offered, though the words were a groan. He wanted this as much as I did. I shook my head.

"No. Don't you dare." I hissed, digging my nails into his skin. Then finally we were kissing, his hot mouth devouring mine as we pressed against each other. The gentle touches from before were gone as he roughly grabbed my hair, pushing me against the wall and making me his.

Controlling me. Possessing me. Seducing me.

I whimpered as our tongues connected, letting him dominate me with his luscious lips. The torturous distance between us was gone, his hard muscled chest touching all of my curves. I quivered with desire as one of his hands slid down my side, grazing my breast, my hip, my bare thigh. His fingers played with the edge of my dress for a second before slipping under it, quickly curling upwards to find my panty line. My body clenched as my core tightened.

Oh my fucking god. He was so close to my wetness. So close to giving me what I needed. Until he suddenly stopped, his lips leaving my swollen ones. I couldn't hold back a pained moan. I wanted more. I needed more.

"I know honey. But not here." Edward said hoarsely. My brain struggled to process the words. The bar. We were still at the bar. The public bar. The bar with all of our friends. Oh no.

Panic spiking, I quickly searched the room to see if we'd been caught. I sighed with relief when I couldn't see any of the guys nearby.

"I'm going to tell them we're both leaving. I'll say you left a few minutes ago because you were done for the night and I've found a woman. They'll never know." He said quickly. His words were controlling and demanding. There was no going back now. I nodded.

"Go outside and get us a taxi." He ordered, quickly kissing me. "I'll meet you there." He continued. Then he was suddenly gone, leaving me slumped against the wall. Leaving me hot, horny, and scatterbrained. Thank god Edward was the dominant one here, because I was a mess. It took few a few seconds to steady myself enough to walk out the bar, and I was still panting when I stepped out into the cool air.

Air that did nothing to quench the fire inside of me.

I hailed a taxi just as Edward came out, and we slid in together in a mess of limbs and lust. Edward quickly gave the driver an address, one I didn't know, but I didn't care. He was kissing me again now, my hands knotting in his hair as his mouth danced with mine. Edward pressed me back against the seat as we sped forwards, his hands on my hip and neck keeping me in place.

God, he tasted so good. His lips and tongue moved in tandem with mine, the kiss endless and full of passion and desire. If we hadn't been in the middle of a moving car, I would have pulled him closer, but right now it wasn't possible. I would have to content myself with Edward's blistering kisses.

But though I was prepared to settle for kissing only – for now – apparently Edward wasn't. The hand on my hip was sliding down to my thigh and back under my dress, like he had just minutes ago at the bar. But this time, he didn't stop. His warm fingers trailed along my panty line torturously slowly, until his hand was fully between my legs. Then he was pressing against my center through the thin material of my underwear, making me cry out in need. It was a good thing Edward's mouth was still sealed to mine, otherwise we would have alerted the taxi driver that we were getting hot and heavy right behind him. At any moment he could turn around and see Edward pleasuring me.

The thought only made me more aroused. Wetness was pooling between my legs as desire raced through my veins, making me squirm. I tugged on Edward's hair to let him know I wanted more, trying to make his hand press against me harder. He chucked slightly against me, his mouth on mine pressing harder as his fingers deftly slipped beneath my underwear to stroke my entrance. My moans were only barely muffled as he explored me, his fingers slipping through my folds and circling around my core. Then, he was pressing a digit inside, my walls clenching around him.

Holy fuck. Edward was fingering me in the back of a taxi. His entire hand was cupping my sex as he moved in and out, his finger curling and sending waves of pleasure through my body. Pleasure that was impossibly growing stronger, as his thumb started circling my clit. My whole body arched as he continued playing with the hot spot, and I was about to force Edward closer and deeper, taxi driver or no taxi driver, when suddenly the car was skidding to a stop.

No. Not now!

As if none of this was affecting him, and we hadn't been doing very inappropriate things in the back of the car, Edward quickly pulled back and handed over a credit card to the driver. I gaped at him, trembling at the sudden halt to his ministrations and feeling boneless against the seat. When Edward tugged me out the car my legs refused to work and I almost fell over. He quickly scooped me up into his arms and carried me up to the doorstep of an apartment, which I didn't mind at all because it meant he was kissing me again.

Somehow we managed to stay lip locked as he unlocked the door, moving us inside and kicking the door closed behind us. Then I was once again being shoved against a hard wall, Edward's hands gripping my thighs and wrapping them around his hips. I could feel his hard erection through his jeans, and I groaned as I started grinding against him. His huge hardness was heaven against my aching center, and soon we were moving in tandem, his jeans rubbing against me in all the right places. His hands were roaming up and down my body, pushing my dress up over my hips so that he had better access to me.

I barely noticed when he stopped moving so that he could undo his jeans, his mouth moving from my lips to my neck. The open mouthed kisses made me shiver as he nipped and licked my skin, distracting me from the fact that he was no longer grinding against me. And it was totally worth it, because seconds later his hand was pushing aside my underwear so that his newly freed cock could slide against my wet core.

I cried out in pleasure, my inner walls clenching in anticipation as I felt his thick erection move against me, already sheathed with a condom I hadn't even seen him put on. After the foreplay in the car, we didn't bother pulling off clothes and couldn't stand to wait any longer. Without any words he was lining his cock up and pushing inside of me all the way to the hilt, my hips tilting against his to let him in deeper. My chest arched and I gripped him tightly as he filled me up. Then we were both moving, his thrusts hard and furious as we moved together. My body was on fire as he plundered into me, rolling and grinding and making every part of me his. His fingers were thumbing my clit and bringing me higher, the pleasure growing to an overwhelming level. But it wasn't until he hit that magic spot inside of me that I finally reached my climax, falling apart as we came together.

We both slowly slid to the floor, panting and trembling together as the aftermath of our urgent lovemaking rolled through us. My heartbeat was thundering in my ears, my nerves tingling so that I couldn't move. For a long time we both just stayed there, half sitting against the wall as we leaned against each other. The only movement was Edward occasionally brushing soft kisses against my neck, until we both eventually regained our senses.

"Wow. That was…" Edward started to say, before trailing off.

"A surprise?" I finished for him. He grinned.

"Definitely." He answered, before turning serious. "Was it a good surprise, Bella?"

"The best." I replied with smile, stretching against the wall. Edward's eyes lit up.

"So it was a good birthday present then?" He asked, one of his hands moving to lightly trailing along my collarbone. I shivered and nodded.

"I guess I should finish giving it you then." Edward said, smirking. I froze.

"You didn't think we were finished, did you? Fast sex is great Bella, but I want more. I want you in so many ways." He whispered, the dirty words making my heart race. He was moving now, his body shifting so that I was straddling him, his lips almost touching mine when he spoke.

"What do you say, Bella. Will you let me seduce you?" He asked, the words almost a purr. Just the sound of his voice made me shiver. It hinted at so many erotic and pleasurable things he could do to me.

I wanted it. Badly.

"Yes." I agreed, the word a breathless whisper as I tugged him close and kissed him. For a few wonderful moments our lips danced together, until suddenly Edward broke the contact. His fingers touched my lips to keep us apart as he grinned.

"No, Bella. I'm the one seducing you. I get to be in control. I decide how to bring you pleasure." He said. My breaths hitched, and I nodded. I didn't care who called the shots, I just wanted more of him.

Edward picked us both up off the floor, carrying me down a hallway. I got a quick look of the living room and kitchen before we moved into a bedroom, and he lightly sat me on the bed. But to my disappointment, he wasn't joining me. Instead he was kneeling on the floor and taking off my shoes. I would have protested, if his strong fingers hadn't started massaging my sore toes, his hands rubbing me in all the right spots.

"Ohh, that feels good." I said with a groan. Edward grinned, his talented hands moving upwards to massage my calves. If this was his first seduction technique, then damn it was working. And it seemed to not just be making me happy, but Edward too.

"You know, so many men do casual sex wrong the way," He remarked. "They're only interested in quick sex, in just getting off. But they're missing out. Women are so beautiful. And when you have one naked in front of you, you should appreciate her. Taste her creamy skin, feel her soft breasts." He continued, bending to press a soft kiss to my calf that made me shiver.

"But I'm not naked yet." I pointed out. As much as I was enjoying his massage, I wanted his hands in other more sensitive places. His mouth too. Edward grinned at my words.

"Hmmm, you're right. And I will be fixing that very soon." He replied, starting to rise from the floor. Then in one smooth move, he was grabbing bowl from his nightstand and sitting down in front of me. He plucked one of the small red fruit in his fingers and held it to my lips.

"Strawberry?" He offered, his eyes bright. I opened my mouth in silent reply, biting into the juicy sweetness. Edward quickly swallowed down the second half, one of his hands starting to lightly stroke up and down my arm.

"Do you always happen to have strawberries in your room?" I asked. Edward chuckled.

"Yes, lovely Bella. But it's not by chance. They're oh so good at making women swoon, and tasting the sweetness when I kiss then is so fucking good." He replied, gathering me into his arms and kissing me to prove his point. The strawberry juice was indeed heavenly as his lips moved against mine, nipping and teasing as his tongue explored my mouth. I barely even noticed he had pushed me down to the bed, his hard body covering mine. It wasn't until his hands grabbed my dress and started tugging that I realized what he was doing, and we broke apart so that he could pull it the rest of the way over my head. Then he quickly shucked his own shirt off before his mouth started moving over my skin.

He trailed kisses across my jaw, down my neck, along my collar bone, as his hands traced patterns across my stomach. Soon his lips were trailing across the tops of my breasts, as one of his hands deftly unhooked my bra and tossed it across the room. I moaned as his mouth immediately latched onto my right nipple, sending spikes of pleasure through me and making my inner walls clench. His fingers swirled and teased my other breast as he licked my pink flesh, making me squirm with desire. Then his hands were shifting and he was gently pushing me to roll onto my stomach.

"Roll, sweetheart." He whispered as he moved me. I couldn't help but protest, wanting him back where he was.

"Why?" I asked breathlessly. I couldn't see Edward's face, but imagined him grinning at the word.

"Because I want to taste your smooth back, Bella. And because you'll feel everything so much better when you can't see what I'm doing." He replied, his lips kissing the back of my neck as he brushed my hair aside. His hands rubbed up and down my sides as he kissed and licked his way down my back, making me tremble. Edward was right. Not being able to see, only feeling his touch made my senses heighten. My nerves were buzzing with anticipation. He was getting lower, lower, close to where I wanted him. His fingers hooked into the sides of my underwear and slid them quickly down my legs as he kissed the end of my spine.

Then he was quickly pulling me upwards, my back against his chest and my ass against his hips. I gasped at the sudden movement, my breaths turning into desperate pants. I could feel his hard erection pressing against my ass, his strong thighs beneath my own. We were completely pressed together, one of his hands cupping my breasts as his other hand trailed down my stomach to lightly circle my clit.

I moaned loudly as he thumbed my bundle of nerves, leaning heavily against his bare body as he sent desire radiating through every fiber of my being. Furious heat was building in my lower stomach, wetness pooling between my legs. I sighed in relief as two of his fingers dipped between my folds and pushed into me, finally going where I wanted him most. Unlike in the taxi, where we had been restricted by clothes and positions, Edward wasn't holding back this time. He was exploring every inch of me, moving deep, stretching me wide and making me quiver. Soon he added a third finger, relentlessly teasing my clit and rapidly bringing me to my climax. I cried out and shook in his tight grip, the orgasm he had built up overwhelming.

But still, I wanted more. I needed more than his hand, I needed his thick cock. And he knew it. He had done this to me. He had well and truly seduced me. He could control me. And now he was about to possess me. I hadn't even finished calming down and he was already sliding his hard length through my slick folds, teasing me, tempting me, torturing me. It wasn't until I whimpered with need that he finally grabbed my hips and lifted me so that he could slide firmly in, impaling me on his erection. He was all the way in, as deep as he could go, his head pressing against the end of me and letting me know I was totally at his mercy. That I belonged to him.

Unlike the furious sex against the wall we had had earlier, his movements were now achingly slow. With every roll of his hips he slid all the way out and all the way in, claiming every part of me. He grinded and thrust at every angle, hitting the best spots inside of me until I was on the edge of my climax and then slowing again, refusing to let me shatter. His hand was still playing with my clit, bringing me high when he wanted to and leaving me gasping when I got to close to orgasm. It was ecstasy, the most extreme pleasure, the most overwhelming elation. Eventually not even Edward could stop me from succumbing to the blissful euphoria, my climax wracking through my body so fiercely I thought my heart would fail beneath the onslaught.

Only it didn't. It kept beating, as Edward and I fell to the bed, his cock still buried inside of me. It was then that I knew there was no longer any question.

Edward was just as good as he thought he was. Better even.

He had controlled me. Possessed me. Seduced me.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Breakfast Seduction**

I woke up in a bed that wasn't my own. The morning sunlight that usually flooded my bedroom was gone, thick blackout curtains ensuring the room stayed dark. The sheets in the bed were silk, soft and slippery against my naked skin. And, most importantly, there was someone next to me.

Edward. One of his bare arms was thrown across my body as he slumbered, his face buried in his pillow so that all I could see was his hair. Hair I had dug my fingers into as his cock pounded into me last night.

I flushed at the memory. I had had sex with Edward. Or, more accurately, he had had sex with me. He had been calling all the shots, controlling me and teasing me. My core throbbed as I recalled the feeling of him inside of me.

The sex had been amazing. My limbs were loose and boneless from the work out, leaving me more relaxed than I'd been in ages. The shattering orgasms had driven all the tension and stress away. I felt good. The only reason I wasn't on top of the world right now was the head ache brewing behind my eyes.

My hangover. Apparently sex couldn't solve everything. But considering how much we'd both had to drink last night, I'd gotten off lucky. All I needed was a few glasses of water and a coffee and I would be good to go. Well, almost.

Because I had had sex with Edward. Edward, my work colleague and friend. Edward, who slept with tonnes of women and probably did this every night. Edward, who I had never considered sleeping with or dating before.

And who despite the awesome sex last night, I absolutely was not interested in a relationship with.

There was reason he had been so good in bed. Who knew how many women he'd had sex with? And the fact that he could be so emotionally detached? That he didn't care? I was not okay with that. But even if he did magically turn it around, I still didn't want him. I didn't want anyone. Because no one was right.

I was used to being alone, and hated letting people into my life. I'd dated a couple of men a few years ago, but hadn't opened up to any of them. Because none of them got me. A woman wanting to be in the police force was still a surprise to men. They thought it was cute, not brave. They couldn't deal with the fact that I could be as strong as them. The only ones that did understand were those in the police force with me, but those guys… none of them were appealing.

Not even Edward.

Edward, who was shifting next to me in the bed, his arm sliding off my waist. Pulling the sheet up to cover my breasts, I rolled over to face him as he blinked sleepily. But when his bright green eyes caught sight of me, suddenly he was fully awake. His eyes were wide with… what? Shock? Alarm? Excitement?

"Bella. Uhhh… Good morning?" he said huskily, the words almost a question.

"Morning," I replied quietly, shifting anxiously against the bed. I was nervous about what he was about to say. I didn't know what he was thinking. I didn't know where we stood with each other anymore.

"So, about last night…" Edward started to say, running hand through his hair. Scared about what he was going to say, I quickly interrupted him before he could finish. Or I tried to. We end up both speaking at the same time, the words a crazed jumble. Yet somehow, we managed to say almost exactly the same thing.

"I don't want a relationship."

"I don't want to date anyone."

For a moment there was silence, our shared words ringing through the air. Then, we were both sighing in relief.

"Oh thank god. I was worried," Edward said with a chuckle.

"Seriously? You think I would date you?" I retorted.

"You had sex with me," he replied, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Yeah, and it's never going to happen again," I answered. Then I smiled and relaxed against the bed. "Though it was great sex," I admitted, and Edward grinned.

"Awesome sex," he agreed, and then he held out a hand for me to shake. "Friends?"

"Friends," I confirmed, gripping his palm with my own.

"Sweet. Now that's over and done with… Pancakes?" he offered. I grinned.

"Hell yes," I replied. Sitting up in bed, still clutching the sheet to my chest, I scanned the room. "But first I need to get dressed."

"No you don't." Edward replied with a chuckle. I glared at him.

"Yes, I do. Where are my clothes?" I asked, struggling to search the room with my eyes while covering my breasts.

"You want them, you have to find them yourself," he said teasingly. "Or you could wear mine," he proposed. I shot him another irritated look.

"I don't think so. I know you keep your room clean for all your lady friends, but I'm sure your wardrobe is disgusting," I retorted. Then, I quickly slipped out of the bed, throwing the sheet over Edward's face so he wouldn't see my naked body. He laughed as he struggled to free himself, giving me just enough time to snag my blue dress off the floor and tug it over my head.

First step done. Now, I needed to find my bra and underwear. Sitting up on bed, Edward suddenly grinned a rakish smile. Oh no. He plucked a small item off the nightstand next to him and dangled it between his fingers, his expression smug.

"I think these belong to you," he drawled, holding my panties out teasingly in my direction. Making a face at his self-satisfied expression, I snatched them from his grip.

"Oh don't look so pleased with yourself," I replied as I quickly tugged them up my legs. Then, I spotted my bra hidden underneath his sheets. Rolling my eyes, I headed towards a door I assumed led to the bathroom to finish getting dressed. But just before I closed the door, Edward was calling out a reply.

"But I am pleased with myself."

* * *

Thankfully, when I emerged from the bathroom, Edward was out of bed and had some pants on. I found him in the kitchen, pouring batter into the pan for the pancakes he had promised me. I was surprised that he was actually cooking them; Edward seemed the kind of guy who would buy premade pancakes and just heat them up in the microwave. Then again, properly cooking was probably way more impressive for all his female company.

As I walked over to his side, he grinned and pointed at the bench top. Confused, I inspected the two items. The first were my black high heels from last night. I didn't remember when or where I'd lost them, but apparently Edward had found them. Deciding I couldn't be bothered putting them back on, I left them where they were as I gaped at the second object.

The bowl of strawberries. The same bowl that had been in his bedroom last night. The red fruit whose taste had filled the kisses Edward and I had shared.

I knew right now that I would never be able to eat another strawberry again without remembering last night.

"I thought those were only for seduction," I eventually remarked, as Edward popped one into his mouth. I had to avert my eyes as he chewed on it, watching him bringing back the memories full force.

We may have agreed to be friends this morning, but he was making it awfully hard. Our usual teasing and arguing had an edge of desire, one I was having trouble ignoring.

"They're my favourite fruit. I'm going to eat them any chance I get," Edward replied. "Besides, they're amazing with pancakes," he said, pulling the now cooked pancake out of the pan and sliding it onto a plate in front of me.

"Eat up. Get whatever you want from the fridge," he said, gesturing behind him. I padded over and searched the messy refrigerator, eventually pulling out maple syrup, cream, and blueberries. Then I plopped myself down on one of the kitchen stools and started eating. I couldn't hold back a quiet moan at the sweet taste.

"Damn, you may be immature and annoying, but you can cook," I mumbled, as I stabbed a blueberry with my fork and popped it into my mouth. Edward laughed.

"Don't insult the man feeding you Bella, or I'll spit in your coffee," he retorted. "I'm assuming you do want coffee?" he asked. I nodded, and he grabbed a mug from the cupboard above his head.

"Besides, I am not annoying. And on the tiny chance I am, my mad sex skills totally out weight it," Edward continued, making me choke on my food. I accidently knocked over the cream as I spluttered, the sticky whiteness splattering over my hand. I groaned.

"Oh damn, look what you made me do," I complained, using my free hand to scrape up one of the splotches and then popping my fingers into my mouth. The cream was too wonderfully sweet to waste.

"By the way, your comment then just totally proved my point about you," I continued.

"Which point? Than I'm great at sex?" Edward retorted, moving to my side with a now full mug of coffee.

"Because I rather thought I proved that last night when I made you writhe beneath me."

I froze at the quietly spoken words, my eyes locked on his green eyed gaze. He was right next to me, his body just an inch away from mine as he place my coffee on the bench. I shifted against the seat, rubbing my thighs together. This was ridiculous. He was just teasing like he normally did. But it wasn't banter between friends anymore. Instead of his sex comments being vulgar, they were suggestive. They were making me think things.

They were making me want things.

Watching me just as intently as I watching him, his fingers stroked my hand to clear off the rest of the cream, just as I had done seconds earlier. He quickly licked the sweetness off his hand, both of us barely breathing.

"Watching you lick this makes me want to lick you," he said hoarsely. My heart stuttered in my chest. My inner walls clenched. Holy fuck. This was not just my imagination. He felt it too. He wanted it to.

"We said we were going to stay friends." I whispered, biting my lip. My body didn't want to protest, didn't want to stop what was about to happen, but I wasn't drunk like I had been last night. I had a brain, and I was going to use it.

"We are. And we can go back to being friends… tomorrow," he replied, watching me closely. My mind spun at the offer, emotion and logic warring as I shifted beneath his fierce gaze.

Then, sucking in a gasping breath, I was throwing myself off the chair and into his arms, our lips crashing together. A shiver of pleasure, anticipation and desire ran through me as his mouth moved against mine. I knotted my hands in his hair as he grabbed my ass and hiked me upwards, my legs wrapping around his waist as his tongue explored my mouth. God, he tasted so good. Was it the cream? Or was it just him? I didn't know. I didn't care.

Edward's lips were hard and furious as they moved against mine, as if he was devouring me. I could feel the thundering beat of his heart in his bare chest—he had never put on a shirt this morning—as I ran my hands down his smooth shoulders. His muscles flexed as he moved us back towards the kitchen counter, shoving aside plates and clearing enough room to set me on the benchtop. It was the perfect height, his hips pressing hard against mine, and another time I would have found it suspiciously convenient.

Not today. Not right now. Right now, nothing mattered except his erection pressing into me through his jeans, and his hands quickly peeling off my dress. He was just as quick to unclasp my bra, sending it flying across the room as he bent over to take one of my breasts into his mouth. I moaned as he swirled his tongue around my left nipple, my nails digging into his back as he thumbed my other breast.

"Ohhh," I murmured as he teasingly circled and massaged the sensitive flesh, going so far as to pinch my hardened nipple. Before I knew it I was laid out across the cold counter, Edward holding me down as he worshipped my breasts. His every movement made the heat in my core build, wetness pooling between my legs as I started grinding against him. Then his mouth was moving downwards, trailing hot opened mouthed kisses along my stomach. Soon he got low enough that he had to pull his hips back, which made me whimper, but the feeling of his mouth playing with the edge of my underwear was almost as good.

Because I was realising Edward had been very, very serious about tasting me. He started pulling down my underwear with his teeth, his hands lifting my hips up off the bench enough to allow him to tug them all the way off. Then his hands were gripping my thighs, holding them apart, his mouth moving towards my hot centre. I felt his fast breaths against my wetness, and I shivered violently once before his tongue flicked forwards to lick through my folds.

"Oh fuck," I cried out, my hips arching off the bench as pleasure rolled through me. Edward chuckled, his fingers increasing their hold and forcing me down as he buried his mouth in my centre. Then he was kissing, licking, and tasting my wetness, every movement pulling a sound from my throat. When his teeth lightly grazed my clit, I yelled out.

"Yes! Edward! Oh god, please." I exclaimed, half begging as he swirled his tongue around and over my sensitive nub. My hands scrabbled against the smooth bench top, looking for something to grab and ground me as I soared higher. Ecstasy was building within me, shivers running through me so that I was constantly quivering. Feeling as if I would explode from the sensations, my hands dug into Edward's hair as I tugged him closer and deeper.

"More. Please, more." I groaned, a sharp cry spilling from my throat as Edward obeyed, pulling my thighs over his shoulders as his tongue delved into my channel, curling and flicking. Then his tongue was being replaced a finger, the digit pushing deep inside of me as he sucked on my clit hard. I almost screamed, my nails digging into his scalp.

"Edward!" I cried as he curled his finger inside of me, thrusting in and out and bringing me to the edge of my climax. Then one hard push as he bit down on my clitoris sent my orgasm exploding through me, my body shaking uncontrollably as euphoria burned through my veins. It was earth shattering bliss. It was _glorious_.

It took a full minute for the jolts of electric pleasure to calm, my writhing limbs finally stilling as warm arms slid around me. My breaths were erratic and desperate, my eyes blinking furiously to clear the stars that filled my vision as I was pressed against Edward's chest. His hands ran soothingly up and down my sides, not sexually now, but comforting. They grounded me, bringing back to earth.

"It's okay, Bella," he murmured soothingly, as I buried my face against his bare skin. Inhaling his scent—a wondrous mix of man and strawberries—the last shivers of my climax faded away. My brain kicked back into gear, my thoughts whizzing by at a million miles an hour. But I let myself stay where I was for just a few seconds more. For just one more moment, I wanted to let someone else be in control.

But then the moment was over. Then I couldn't ignore the turmoil in my mind any longer, and I sat up properly, separating myself from Edward. It was harder than it should have been, my body yearning to be close to him. However right now, my brain was in control, not my body.

And my brain was freaking out.

We had had sex again. Well, almost sex. The details didn't matter. What did matter was that we were supposed to be friends. We had agreed to be friends only. We had said that would be the end of it.

We had failed. We hadn't lasted more than half hour. What did that mean? What was going to happen now? The lack of control I had relished just minutes earlier suddenly terrified me.

"I can't believe that just happened," I whispered, trying to lean back and put more distance between us. He was too close. I was too naked. His touch was too good.

"Here," Edward said softly, picking up my clothes off the floor and handing them to me. I grabbed the bra first, wanting to cover my bare breasts, but my hands were shaking too much to do it up in the back. Moving slowly, as if I were a startled deer he didn't want to scare off, Edward reached behind my back to help me. Then, he gently cupped my face.

"Bella, there's no need to worry," he said, watching me with his big green eyes. "I know you're about to totally overthink this, but you don't need to," he continued. Realizing we were once again too close—touching the way friends shouldn't be—he let me go and stepped back.

"This doesn't change anything. You only want to be friends, right?" he asked, his hands slipping into his pants pockets nervously. I nodded, clutching my thighs together and quickly pulling my dress over my head. Then, eager to get off the bench where I had just orgasmed, I jumped to the ground. I hurriedly moved to the dining room, pulling up my underwear behind the cover of a chair. Then, I sucked in a deep calming breath.

"Friends. Yes, that's what I want. What we both want." I said firmly—half to convince him, half to convince myself. It wasn't that I wanted to date him, because I didn't. But I was realizing now it was going to be awfully hard to go back to friends as if nothing had happened. My hands clutched the back of the chair in a death grip.

We could do this. We would do this. Everything would go back to normal. If we just spent some time apart, if we were out of this house, it would be easy. It would just be a memory. Nothing more.

"Then that's what we'll do," Edward said confidently from the other side of the table. "I'll tone down the sex jokes for a while. It was probably just the teasing that caused..." he continued, before trailing off. The silence between us was heavy with his unspoken words.

That the teasing had resulted in me naked on the kitchen counter and his mouth on my clit.

Pretending not to notice the tension, I stood up straighter.

"Right. That will fix things. And we should stay apart for a few days," I replied, forcing optimism into my words. This was going to work. I would make it work. I was an independent woman. I controlled what went on in my life. Not anyone else.

"That's a good idea," Edward agreed. I nodded, then walked over to collect my shoes from the kitchen counter. I didn't look at Edward, and he didn't look at me.

"Thank you for breakfast," I said, as I stepped into my heels.

"You're welcome." Edward replied. Then, we both walked together to his front door. He held it open for me, watching as I stepped out onto the street. It was a perfectly normal action. Something any friend would do. So why did it feel so wrong?

"Goodbye Bella," he said. The words were formal coming out of his mouth, his expression more serious than I had ever seen it. He looked… not at all like Edward. Instead, he was an actor wearing a mask. Because this stupid fake conversation we were having while we pretended everything was okay was exactly that—an act.

We both knew better. We both knew, we could both sense, that sex had broken something between us. There was no going back to before. But thinking about the future was even worse than thinking about our lost past, so it was better to pretend. Better to hope that maybe we were wrong. Maybe we could do this.

Denial had never tasted so sweet.

"Goodbye Edward." I replied just as stiffly, the awkwardness and wrongness of this distance between us making me shiver. Just seconds ago I had been worried we were too close, but now I began to fear the opposite.

What if this destroyed everything? What if we lost our friendship? What if we lost each other entirely?

Gritting my teeth, I forced back my stupid insecurities and worries. This would work. Everything was going to be fine.

We were friends. Just friends. Only friends.

Weren't we?


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Truth, Dare, and Seduction**

Unit 19 was facing our worst enemy.

Boredom.

When we'd been assigned crowd control duty for a music festival last week, we'd all been excited. Finally we would get some action! Controlling drunk partygoers was always entertaining, especially when we were assigned as group. We'd rocked up nice and early, ready for anything.

Anything except finding out that the festival was actually a retirement home recital. The 'stage' was a tiny roped off square of grass, the crowd less than thirty elderly men and women. Most of them had walking sticks, frames, or were in wheel chairs, and the strongest thing they were drinking was lemonade.

It was going to the most boring 6 hours of our lives.

We tried listening to the music for the first 15 minutes. That was until they started the sing-along music number, at which point we did all we could to block our ears and tune out the pitchy voices. In the defence of the retirement home residents, they weren't that terrible, and they were at least quiet enough for us to ignore them. Still, the prospect of listening to the cheesy music line up for the rest of the day had us all dying inside.

It wasn't long until we gave up on even appearing to do our jobs of watching the group, with the nine of us sitting down and sprawling across the grass. We chatted amongst ourselves for a while, at first making sure we were quiet, but then giving up when we realised no one cared. It was then that all semblance of maturity disappeared, and the guys decided to play a game. Apparently, it was the only game they knew, because they were _always_ playing it.

Truth or Dare.

Once again, the empty plastic bottle was spinning on the grass, the guys eagerly following its path to determine the next victim. I say victim because the truth questions were always really personal, really vulgar, or both. The dares were no better, usually involving dangerous stunts or sneaking around the boss. It was good thing he wasn't here today, or we'd all be fired.

A round of yells erupted as the bottle finally stopped.

"Tyler!" everyone yelled, clapping and whooping. Tyler winced. He usually liked to pick dare, but after Jasper had been forced to climb the tall pine tree next to us and had almost broken his ankle falling, suddenly it didn't seem appealing.

"Truth," he said hesitantly, and everyone oohed. Eric, the one in charge of picking the question, stroked his chin as he thought of a question. I let my gaze wander the group as he pondered, my eyes meeting Edward's bright green ones on the other side of our circle.

The same eyes that had stared at me as fucked me against his hallway wall. Eyes that I couldn't look at anymore without remembering everything. Eyes that haunted me—in good ways and bad.

Drawing back my attention, Eric grinned.

"How many women have you fucked?" he asked. Tyler groaned. He was married to his high school sweetheart, and had been dating her since junior year. His number was going to be low, and the guys would mock him endlessly for it.

"One," he finally revealed. Laughs and yells once again erupted.

"One! Holy shit man, Jessica is the only woman you've had sex with?" Mike asked in amazement. Tyler nodded. The men all made sappy faces.

"Damn Ty, you're so whipped. I guess Jess never has to worry about her man being unfaithful!" Jasper shouted, and the guys laughed again. I rolled my eyes. I didn't see how Tyler having only slept with his wife was a problem. In fact, I was impressed. He clearly loved her. It made me think of how in love my parents had been when I was younger.

Until they'd died when I was just eight years old. A boating accident during their holiday fifteen years ago had taken their lives. My aunt and uncle had raised me, but it hadn't been the same. And ever since I'd lost my parents, I'd been wary about letting anyone into my life.

So of course it was me the bottle landed on next. Ignoring the jeers and yells, I curled my legs up to my chest and spoke.

"Truth," I decided, figuring it was the lesser of two evils. I knew how terrible the dares they dreamed up were. Tyler, looking much happier now that I had most of the attention, rubbed his hands together in anticipation.

"Bella, Bella, Bella. What to ask?" he questioned as he mulled it over in his head. His eyes lit up with an idea, and I fought the urge to groan. Oh no. What the hell was his question going to be?

"Now, be honest Bella," he said with a mischievous smile. The group fell quiet, eager to hear the question. Tyler, looking very pleased with himself, finally asked.

"When was the last time you had sex?"

Whispers and oohs circled around the group. It was no secret to the rest of my police squad that I didn't date, hadn't in a long time. I typically didn't reply to questions about it, and they usually respected that. But not today. Anything was fair game during Truth or Dare.

Looking around at the men, I had no doubt they were expecting a big number. To hear that I hadn't had sex in years. If they'd asked me a month ago, they would have been right. But not today. Grinning, I looked Tyler straight in the eye as I replied.

"Two weeks ago."

Silence. The usually rowdy group of guys were dead silent. They were all gaping at me, waiting for me to proclaim my answer a joke. I didn't. Edward was the only one not frozen with surprise, his gaze full of heat as he watched me. I forced my eyes to look anywhere but in his direction.

"Wait, what?" Jared asked, his expression a mask of shock. I huffed.

"I had sex two weeks ago," I replied, folding my arms across my chest. The movement seemed to shake the guys out of their astonishment.

"Holy shit, that's more recently then me!" Mike exclaimed, prompting a roar of laughter. Meanwhile, Eric was trying to connect the dots.

"Two weeks ago? Hey, that was your birthday party!" he realised.

"Damn, Bella. You got some birthday action? And all this time you've made us think you were such a good girl," Jared said, nudging me with an elbow. More chatter spread around the group, as the guys processed the information. It was then that Tyler asked the question I'd known was coming.

"So who the hell was it? Who'd you sleep with?" he asked, and once again the men fell quiet, eager to hear my answer.

"I'm not telling," I replied, shaking my head. It took all my control not to glance in Edward's direction. If I did, I would give myself away. If I did, I was scared what I would find.

The guys collectively groaned at my refusal.

"Oh come on, you can't do this to us!" Jasper cried.

"You only get one truth question. You want to ask, you need the bottle to land on me again," I retorted.

"But you'll just pick dare and avoid the question!" Mike replied. I grinned.

"Yep," I agreed. There was no way I was telling them truth.

"That's so not fair," Eric grumbled. Ignoring the jibe, I leaned forward and spun the bottle, eager to get the game going and the attention off me. Then as I moved back to my spot on the grass, I replied.

"You'll get over it."

* * *

In typical guy fashion, they had indeed forgotten completely about my secret sex partner less than five minutes later. Unfortunately, I was finding it a lot harder to get off my mind. Mostly because Edward was sitting in a position that meant it was impossible not to see him.

Edward, who I had had mind-blowingly good sex with. Twice in one night. And again in the morning. Edward, who despite all my attempts to convince myself otherwise, I couldn't see as just a friend anymore.

If I was being honest, I had had doubts about the plan to just go about life as normal from the very beginning. I felt it when I was leaving his house, the tension in the air between us. We had stayed apart for a few days as planned, avoiding each other at work—subtly, so that no one else noticed—and for a short while I had hoped that maybe there was a chance. But when we started talking again during shifts, and partnered up at training, it was immediately clear.

Neither of us had forgotten what had happened. And we weren't going to.

"Edward!" The men around me suddenly shouted his name, making my whole body jolt. It was if they had known I was thinking about him. But as my too fast heart beat slowed, I realised he was the new person chosen by the bottle. And now, I had no excuse not to look at him.

He looked so relaxed sitting on the grass, leaning back on his hands as his muscled arms held him up. Flexed as they were, I could see the definition and strength in his body. A body I knew first hand. A body that I wanted to know again.

The thought terrified me. But over the last week I had found myself more and more distracted, found myself watching him for no reason. Watching the way he moved, the way he smiled, the way his hair ruffled in the breeze. Watching him, and wanting him.

"Edward, my man. You say you can win any woman over huh? I say we test that theory right now!" Jasper said with a chuckle, and the rest of the guys all whooped with excitement. I couldn't say I felt the same. In fact I felt… sick. Edward's intense interest in women was a solid brick wall stopping me from getting what I wanted. I couldn't be with him given his behaviour. I would be just another conquest.

But though my brain knew it was impossible, my heart was not so easy to persuade. My heart clenched at the thought that I would have to watch him woo a woman right here, right now.

"I want you to go and kiss _her_!" Jasper announced with a gleeful grin, pointing over to our left. Feeling a terrible mix of curiosity and dismay, I turned with the others to see who Jasper had picked.

It was with astonishment we all took in the tiny elderly lady slowly walking across the grass just 30 feet away.

"Awww yes!" Paul yelled, leaning over to high five Jasper on his grand idea. Next to me, Eric and Tyler fist pumped. Edward, who had one second ago looked calm and confident, now looked stunned. It was an expression that made him look younger, less the cocky playboy and more the caring police officer.

But even as I watched, the short glimpse into his other self was disappearing. He was jumping to his feet and striding across the lawn like the little grey-haired woman was a blonde bombshell he was determined to win over. Everyone watched on eagerly as he approached her, silence falling as the anticipation built. We were far enough away that we couldn't hear the conversation as they started talking, which made a few of the men curse. But then, what he said didn't matter. It was all about the kiss.

A kiss I was dreading. Was Edward so conceited and ruthless that he would kiss her? What if she said no? Worse, what if she wanted him to kiss her? He was young and in his prime, so why wouldn't she?

Fighting the urge to close my eyes and look away, I watched as they continued to talk. Then Edward was smiling and bending over to kiss her… on the cheek. I let out a breath I hadn't known I'd been holding. Jasper and a few of the others groaned and protested.

"What?! He can't do that?" Mike argued, as Edward slowly strolled back over to us.

"What the fuck man? That wasn't the deal!" Jasper protested. Edward just shrugged.

"You said a kiss. That was a kiss," he replied, the words edged with amusement as he sat back down on the grass. "If you wanted one on the lips, you should have said so."

"It was implied," Jasper retorted. Edward just grinned.

"Next time, be more specific."

* * *

The next few rounds of truth or dare got progressively more and more intense. After Edward had sneaked his way out of his challenge, the new dares kicked up a notch.

And they all involved kissing.

At first it was playful, but every time things got more extreme. Tyler kissed the grass. Jared kissed Mike's hand. Eric kissed Edward's foot.

Then it was my turn. The guys had been waiting eagerly to get me back for being secretive, and they all cheered when the bottle pointed in my direction.

"Truth! Truth! Truth!" they all chanted, but I just shook my head.

"Dare," I said firmly. Paul, the person in charge of choosing my dare, crossed his arms over his chest.

"Come on, Bella. Just tell us," he begged, like a five-year-old hoping for candy. I shook my head.

There was no way in hell I was telling my squad I had slept with Edward.

"Fine. You want a dare, you're going to get one," Paul retorted, his gaze fierce.

"I dare you to kiss me. A proper kiss. On the lips, with tongue."

Once again, shocked silence fell across the group. But this time, I was just as surprised as everyone else.

Me? Kiss Paul?

The thought had _never_ occurred to me. He was a friend; he was like a brother to me. Kissing him would be wrong.

"You've got to be joking," I said shakily.

"Nope. You have to kiss me. Right now," he replied with a grin. "Unless… you tell us who the mystery guy is? Then you can get out of it," Paul continued teasingly.

I couldn't stop my eyes from flicking to Edward, gauging his reaction. His face was a blank mask, giving nothing away. As if he didn't care. Because he didn't. I was just another woman to him.

Well then, fine. If I couldn't have him, then he sure as hell couldn't have me.

"Alright, I'll do it." I announced, putting on my most confident expression. Rising to my feet, I flicked my hair over my shoulder, not sparing another glance for Edward.

"Stand up Paul," I said firmly, gasps of disbelief arising from the men. Paul looked a mix of shock and eagerness as he stood up, quite whispers reaching my ears.

"There's no way she'll do it."

"She's faking it."

"Bella won't go through with it."

Everyone was standing now and talking, eyes flicking between Paul and me. The air was filled with tense anticipation. My hands were shaking slightly at the prospect of what I was about to do.

Sucking in a deep breath, I strode forward, threw my arms around Paul's neck and kissed him. Hard. My body shivered at the awkwardness of knowing this was Paul, that this wasn't who I wanted to really be kissing. I brought my irritation and desire for Edward to the front of my mind, channelling my emotions to fight my urge to recoil. I put all my turmoil into the kiss as I moved my lips against Paul's, giving him the tongue he had demanded.

Then with a gasp I pulled away, releasing him and staggering back a few steps. I realised only now that the air was filled with wolf-whistles and yells, the men having watched it with as much excitement as the football. I didn't care about them though. I didn't care about Mike, who was ruffling my hair in appreciation of the show. I didn't care about Paul, who was gaping at me as if he still couldn't believe I'd gone through with the dare. No, all I cared about was Edward.

Edward, who wasn't making a sound. Who had not reacted one bit.

* * *

The rest of the day was a blur. I was silently miserable as we passed the last two hours of our shift at the retirement home recital, before gratefully heading back to the office. I didn't pay any attention to the chatter around me. I was too busy thinking, my thoughts a thunderous whirlwind.

I had feelings for Edward. I wanted Edward. But he didn't want me.

It shouldn't have been a surprise. And it wasn't, not really. I had known from the beginning what kind of guy he was. But that didn't mean it didn't still hurt.

I was so distracted as I walked down one of the hallways in the police station that I didn't even notice that I'd been followed. Not until I was suddenly yanked sideways and dragged into an empty office, the man's grip tight and unbreakable. I thrashed and fought, shoving an elbow back into his ribs and making him groan.

"Fuck Bella! What did you do that for?" the man cried loudly, releasing me to clutch a hand to his chest. I spun at the voice, recognising the familiar honeyed tones.

Edward. Edward was just inches away from me, his hair wild and eyes bright as he watched me.

"What are you doing?!"I asked with bewilderment, leaning against the wall behind me as I gaped at him.

"What do you think I'm doing?" he replied, stepping forward to take my hands in his large palms. "I had to see you again. To talk to you. To touch you. Smell you. Kiss you," he continued, his voice husky. Our gazes were locked, his green eyes searing as they stared at my brown ones. He didn't blink as he lifted my hands up to his face and lightly kissed the tips of my fingers, inhaling deeply.

"You taste so good. Everything about you is just… heaven," Edward said, stepping forward so that there was almost no space between us.

"It made me so angry to see you kissing him," he whispered. "I wanted punch for Paul for touching you. It took everything I had to stand there and not attack him."

"But why?" I asked, still confused. Had his apparent lack of emotion really been a disguise of something more?

"Why? Because I care about you. Because of what is between us. I knew you feel it," he replied, releasing my hands so he could cup my face. "We can't just be friends anymore, Bella."

"I know," I replied, my hands reaching up to grip the fabric of his shirt as he leaned down to kiss me. And boy, did he kiss me. His lips were hard, but then they were soft. He was strong and fierce, then light and sweet. Every movement of our mouths together was different, a continually changing dance. Only once thing remained constant.

Passion. Overwhelming, all consuming, blood-boiling passion. I whimpered with need as his tongue dove into my mouth, deepening the kiss. One of my arms hooked around his neck as the other started tugging on his shirt buttons, desperate to see and feel his warm skin. To be close again. To know that this was real, and not a dream.

Edward soon caught on to what I was trying to do and started to help me, and a second later I was pushing his shirt off his shoulders. I ran my hands down the smooth skin of his back as his deft fingers started undoing my own shirt, our lips still slanting together as our tongues battled. Then finally my shirt was gone and I could crush myself against his chest, hips against hips, skin against skin, mouth against mouth.

It was so fucking good. The touch I had been craving for two weeks was finally mine again, and it was glorious. His large hands holding me, stroking me, caressing me. Running up and down my curves, grazing my breasts, cupping my ass. Soon he was lifting me off the floor and wrapping my thighs around his hips, his erection pressing against me through his pants. I groaned.

Two weeks had never felt so long.

I kissed him harder, my nails digging into his shoulders as I started rolling my hips against his, trying to get his hardness right where I wanted it. Edward started stumbling slowly backwards as we grinded, and before we knew it we were crashing into the office chair and falling into it.

The sudden collapse made us both break apart for a moment, but soon our lips were once again connecting. In this position I was straddling him, and it was bliss to grind my wet centre against his hard cock, the material between us providing delicious friction. Now that we were sitting down Edward's hands were free again, and they didn't waste any time pulling off my bra and baring my breasts.

I gasped as his thumbs started circling my nipples, jolts of pleasure flooding through me. His warm hands massaged and circled my pale flesh as I continued rubbing myself against him, both of us panting. It didn't take long before we were tugging at each other's pants, undoing zippers and almost tearing the material as we tried to take them off in our confined position. It was worth stopping our kissing for a moment though, to have Edward's cock bare beneath me, and my core free for him to access.

We both moved at the same time, my hands taking hold of his erection as his fingers glided through my folds. Our moans and whimpers blended together as we gave each other pleasure, my hands running up and down his hardness as he pushed a finger inside of me. Soon we were both moving in sync, my hands shifting along his cock as he thrust first one digit, and then a second, in and out of my wetness. It didn't take long before both our movements became twitchy and erratic, the haze of bliss making it hard to focus.

"Enough foreplay. I need you Bella. Now," Edward hissed, his hands grabbing my ass and pulling me forward so that his cock pressed against my folds. I let out a cry and grinded against him, as Edward rocked us both back and forth a few times, but then there was no more waiting. He was lifting me up enough for his erection to unerringly find my entrance, and he was burying himself inside, sliding in all the way to the hilt.

"Oh Edward," I cried breathlessly, a tremor wracking through my body as he stretched my inner walls. On top of him like this, he was in as deep as he could go, his head pushing against the end of me. He completely filled me up, and it was ecstasy. We were finally together again.

"Bella," Edward groaned at the same time, one of his hands gripping the back of my neck and pulling me forward for a blistering kiss. Then we were moving, my hips grinding and rolling and sliding as he thrust upwards. At first I rode him slowly, both of us taking joy from finally touching each other again. But as the euphoric pleasure began to build, we got more forceful, more urgent. I started lifting my hips higher, sliding down faster. Soon we stopped kissing entirely, Edwards hands gripping my hips and taking control of my movements. Then he was the one setting the pace, slamming me down on his cock in time with his upward thrusts so that every push brought us closer to climax.

We were so close. So close. It didn't take long before he found the angle that made me scream, his erection hitting my g-spot and making me clench around him. I dug my hands into his hair so hard I thought I would rip it out, my nipples pressed against his chest as we both panted.

"Yes! More, please!" I exclaimed, my whole body tightening as he pulled all the way out, and then pushed back in hard, hitting me the same way again. After that it only took five more thrusts, Edward slamming me down hard, until I was shattering. I orgasmed as Edward's cock jerked inside of me, both of us climaxing together. Then we were both collapsing, our bodies pressed together as we lay limp against the chair.

The office chair. We had just had sex _at work_.

The thought should have made me panic. In a few minutes, when I had enough energy to move, I would probably worry. But not right now. Not now, when I was in Edward's arms, full of elation. Not when his mouth was softly kissing my neck, whispering my name.

"Bella. My beautiful Bella," he murmured, one of his hands stroking up and down my back. I started slightly in surprise.

"Your Bella?" I asked softly, leaning back slightly look at him. Straddling him like this, our faces were the same height, his green eyes luminous.

"I don't want to see you with anyone else, Bella," Edward explained, one of his hands running through my air. I pursed my lips at him. This morning we had still been trying to be friends, and now he thought he had a claim on me? The idea made me frown. I wanted Edward. I wanted to be with him. But there were things we had sort out first.

"It works both ways, Edward. If we're even going consider doing this properly, you can't be with anyone else either." I replied. His eyes widened. Edward had slept with hundreds of women. He had sex every night. And I was telling him to stop.

"Think about it, Edward. Think about what you want. If you can change," I said.

"Because unless you do, nothing like this can ever happen again."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: An Exercise of Seduction**

It had been a week. A long, slow, dragging week.

A week since Edward and I had rekindled our fire and had sex in a downstairs office at work. A week since we had confessed we couldn't be just friends anymore. A week since I had told him what he had to do if we were going to be together.

It had been a week, and he was still thinking about it. Still making up his mind.

Some days I wasn't sure if I wanted to kiss him or kill him.

It was my own fault really. I had told him to take his time and think about it, to make sure he made the right decision. I wasn't going to risk everything if he wasn't sure. There was so much that could go wrong. I didn't want to ruin things.

But damn it, couldn't he decide a little faster?

You would think after being alone for so long, it would be easy to wait one more week. Instead, it was the opposite. Now that I'd had a taste of being with Edward, all I could think was how much I wanted to be by his side. To touch him, and to have him touch me back. It didn't even have to be sexual. I just wanted contact. Any contact.

Well, almost any.

Because the way Edward was touching me today was driving me insane.

We were in the gym for our morning practice and exercise. Today, it was strength training. We had split into pairs, and somehow Edward and I had ended up together. I was sure it wasn't a coincidence, but I hadn't minded… not at the beginning.

We started off with boxing, me holding the padded punching square while Edward practiced his hits. The gloves made a solid thwacking sound every time he hit, and I leaned into his forceful punches. I was glad he wasn't taking it easy on me, despite everything that was going on between us. I was just starting to think that maybe this would be a nice, calm, chance to hang out, when it happened.

Somehow one of his hits flew off course, swinging up way too high and flying just an inch past my ear. I yelped, jumping back as my heart stuttered in my chest. Edward immediately reacted, his gloved hands reaching forwards to lightly hold my face.

"Oh Bella, I'm so sorry!" he exclaimed, his expression full of worry. "Are you okay? Did I hurt you?" he asked, his words fast and wild.

"No, I'm fine," I replied quietly, reaching a hand up to touch the side of my face. He hadn't hit me, but I had felt the whoosh of air as his fist whizzed past. Yet despite my reassurance, Edward didn't believe me. He quickly tugged off his padded gloves and pulled me close, running his hands through my hair and across my cheeks, examining me for injury.

"Edward, don't be stupid," I protested, but it was half-hearted. His large hands were wonderfully warm against my skin, and it was nice to have him worrying about me. To know he cared. Because that was what confused me most about Edward. How could he be so soft and kind when it came to helping a lost little boy, or a victim of an attack, and yet have meaningless sex with so many women?

"I didn't mean to do that. I'm sorry, I was distracted," he said, his voice filled with regret. Real, genuine regret, when he hadn't even done anything. Automatically I responded to comfort him, resting my hand on top of his where he still cupped my cheek.

"It's alright. Really. You didn't even touch me," I said softly, my gaze locking with his. I realised then how close we were, only an inch separating us. The world's smallest inch, because Edward was training shirtless, and I was wearing only a sports bra and leggings. It would be so easy for us to touch each other more. To press ourselves together, skin and against skin. For one stupid, reckless, impulsive moment, I considered doing just that.

But then the grunts and slaps of the rest of our squad hitting and punching seeped back into my ears. Once again I remembered we were not alone. That anyone could be watching.

I sucked in a deep breath and moved back, breaking our contact and putting some distance between us.

"Let's swap positions, okay? I'll be the attacker," I suggested, bending down to pick up Edward's dropped gloves from the floor. He nodded, taking up the padded block that was my target. As I took my stance in front of him, our eyes again made contact. God, his eyes were so beautiful. So big and green. So easy to lose myself in.

Forcing my gaze down, I tried to focus on the task at hand. I started a slow pattern of punches—left, right, left. Right, left, right. Then I picked up the pace, adding in some low and high strikes. Once I got into the rhythm it was easy to calm myself, concentrating only on my target, and the repetitive thwack every time I made contact.

Until the slaps stopped, and the target suddenly moved.

It happened in an instant. Once second the foam square was only a foot in front of me, and the next it was suddenly shifting backwards, out of my reach. In the middle of a series of fast hits, I couldn't stop my forward movement, and I stumbled with the momentum of my punch. I gasped as fell forward—

Straight into Edward's arms. He had managed to drop the padded target so that he could catch me, his arms sliding around my waist and pulling me to his chest. Now pressed against his body, I stared up at him in shock.

How he had moved so fast? How was it possible? He shouldn't have been able to do it. Unless…

Unless he had known it would happen.

But that was stupid. Edward wouldn't make me fall on purpose. What would he gain?

Edward looked down at me, his eyes serious as he helped me regain my feet. But his hands stayed at my waist, and instead of letting me go, he kept me pressed against his chest. His very naked chest. My fingers pressed into his hot skin— I had lost one of my gloves when I fell—his breaths making his chest rise and fall beneath my palm.

"When I almost hit you before, I was distracted because I was thinking about you," he whispered, his eyes not blinking as he said the words. Eyes that were filled with so many secrets, thoughts, and emotions—though one was clearly dominant.

Desire.

"Edward, we can't do this here!" I hissed in reply, trying to step back out of his hold. My gaze finally broke away from his to scan the room, checking none of our colleagues had noticed what was going on. Thankfully, they all seemed absorbed in their punching. But they wouldn't be forever.

Yet Edward didn't seem to care. His fingers started drawing soft circles on my bare skin as he stared at me. My breaths hitched as I realised my earlier thought—one I had dismissed as stupid and impossible— had actually been spot on.

Edward had tripped me on purpose. Edward had intentionally tricked me so that he could touch me.

"I want you," he murmured, confirming my discovery. The huskiness in his voice made me shiver, my pulse pounding in my ears. We were so close. So much of our skin was touching. His luscious lips were just inches away. If we had been alone, there was no questioning what would have happened.

But we were not alone.

Giving me one last lingering touch—his hand grazing my bare stomach and making me tremble—Edward was surprisingly the one to separate us. He picked up the foam target square from the floor, along with my missing glove. For a second I thought that maybe he had come to his senses, and was going to stop teasing me when we couldn't do anything about it. But when he reached forward to hand it over to me, his fingers grazed my wrist and stayed there for way too long.

"Can we talk after this? Or rather, not talk?" he asked softly. My jaw dropped.

Was this what I had been waiting all week for? Had Edward finally made up his mind? And did his touches and whispers mean that his decision was to be with me?

Hardly daring to hope, and feeling like my stomach was doing somersaults, I forced my mouth the move and ask the question I was dying to know the answer to.

"Edward, have you—"

"Alright squad, stop punching. Take off your gloves, I want to see some hand-to-hand blocking!" Emmett—the leader of our unit—suddenly called out, cutting me off mid-sentence. Everyone around us stopped exercising, and Edward and I immediately leapt apart before they could see what we doing. I had to supress a groan and grit my teeth as I took off my gloves and kicked them aside.

Dammit! Did Emmett have to choose that moment to stop us? Couldn't he have waited just ten seconds?! Now I was going to spend the rest of training thinking about what all of this meant.

Full of irritation, I had to suck in a deep breath to make myself focus as Edward and I squared off against each other. When Emmett blew his whistle to indicate the start, Edward and I moved in time, familiar with the blocking pattern. Right attack, right block, left attack, left block. Edward carved his right arm toward me, and I raised my right arm sideways to stop the strike. Then we swapped, me attacking him while he blocked. Back and forth, back and forth we struck. Our forearms pressed against each other every second as we moved, forceful enough to make us brace but not enough to injure.

It was torture. Getting to touch him so frequently, but never for more than an instant, was an unrelenting temptation. We were still so close as well, only a foot away, his bare skin easily within my reach. I fought the urge to stretch my hand out and touch him, knowing it would only make things worse.

But apparently, Edward didn't agree. Because he was using every excuse to touch me. His attacking arm lingering against mine. His fingers grazing my skin as he pulled back. Subtle movements that no one else noticed, but that made my blood boil.

And it only got worse. Every now and then he would break form and block me differently, grabbing my wrist, my elbow, or my hand. His fingers swirled and stroked my flesh, warm and gentle and tormenting. Edward's eyes never failed to meet my own when he made a move, the green orbs filled with silent promises that had me shaking.

Oh god, I wanted him. I needed him. All I wanted was to touch him and never stop.

Right block. Right attack. Left block.

His fingers grazed my cheek as he attacked, stroking lightly before pulling away.

Left attack. Right block. Right attack.

Edward's hand grabbed mine as I pulled back from my strike, our fingers lacing together.

Left block. Left attack.

He stepped forwards the same time I did, so that I hit his chest instead of his blocking arm. I gasped and immediately pulled back, worried I had hurt him, but Edward's hand locked around my wrist and stopped me. He kept my arm pressed against his bare skin, his green eyed gaze fierce as he spoke.

"Bella—"

"Swan! Cullen! What are you doing?" A loud and demanding voice yelled, cutting through the tension between us. Once again we jumped back from each other, looking towards Emmett with worry.

"We're training, sir?" Edward replied, his words nervous. Emmett gave us both a stern look.

"No, you're acting out some poor imitation of training. Both of you have been off beat and off form today. Stay back and repeat the exercise," he ordered, folding his arms across his chest. "The rest of you, time out. Hit the showers," Emmett continued, the rest of squad cheering. They quickly dissipated and left the gym, though I didn't pay them much attention.

I was too busy trying to figure out if I was relieved or frustrated. Relieved, because apparently Emmett hadn't noticed the reason for our poor practice. And frustrated, because spending another half hour touching Edward like this was going to make me go insane. But with Emmett sitting down on a nearby bench and watching us, we had no choice.

Right block. Right attack.

We quickly fell back into the rhythm, our hits the only sound in the room as we both panted.

Left block. Left attack.

5 minutes passed. The slowest 5 minutes of my life. We both kept glancing at the clock, struggling to stay in pattern.

Right block. Right attack.

Emmett's phone rang. He fished it out his pocket, and looked at the caller ID. He frowned.

"I have to leave and take this. You two, ten more minutes and then you're done," he called out, striding from the room. My heart leapt in my chest.

Yes! He was leaving! Finally, the tormenting touches could stop. Finally, I could get the relief I so desperately needed.

And if Edward's wide, green eyes were any indication, he needed this just as much as I did.

The moment the door to the gym swung shut we were lunging for each other, Edward's hands digging into my hair as our lips furiously collided. I whimpered with relief as his soft mouth moved against mine, our tongues tangling together as we passionately kissed. I moulded my body to his chest and locked my arms around his neck to pull him closer, every nerve in my body on fire as our lips moved together.

Fuck. How had I gone a whole week without this? He tasted so good. He felt amazing. He was everything I wanted. Everything I needed.

Pulling back from the kiss as we both panted for air, I raised my brown eyes to look into Edward's green ones. I tried to put a stern expression on my face, but I was pretty sure it failed in favour of the desperate longing I felt.

"Please tell me this means you've decided to do this? Be together properly? Because if you've been teasing me all day for no reason, I am going to kill you," I breathed, trying to still my racing my heart beat. Edward chuckled, and his hands shifted from my hair to cup my face.

"There was no decision to make Bella. I knew last week, earlier even, that I wanted to be with you. I just needed to be sure I could do right by you. That I could be a one woman man," He explained as his fingers traced over my cheeks, my nose, my lips.

"And? Are you sure?" I asked, my nails digging into his skin with anticipation.

"Yes. I'm yours," he whispered, his mouth claiming mine again and making me groan. It was a light, sweet kiss, one that made shiver down to my toes. When he broke us apart, I whimpered in protest.

"But will you be mine Bella?" Edward questioned breathlessly, our lips lightly grazing as he spoke.

"I already am," I gasped, tugging his lips back against mine. And this time, there was no more stopping, no more pulling back or breaking apart. There was only him—his arms around my waist, my fingers gripping his tousled hair, and his earth shattering kisses.

Edward. Edward was mine. Finally mine. There were details to figure out of course, and discussions to be had. But that was for later, not now.

Now, there was only us. Us kissing, our lips moving in a never ending dance. Both of us moving across the gym, staggering across the room as we struggled to kiss and walk at the same time. We almost fell over completely when Edward steered us through the door to the weights room, slamming it closed behind us, but at that point it didn't matter.

We were alone. Finally alone.

I wasn't sure if it was intentional or accidental, but soon I found myself pushed backwards onto a weight lifting bench, Edward's warm weight following me down. The padded seat was cool against my mostly bare back as his hips pressed against mine, his erection hard through his tracksuit bottoms. Breathing heavily, I gripped his hips with my thighs and locked my legs around him so that we could grind against each other, the feeling of his hardness against my centre making me groan. Suddenly, my cotton leggings felt like they were non-existent, because I could feel _so much_ of him.

And I wanted so much of him.

Edward's hands roamed up and down my bare belly, his fingers slipping under my sports bra to gently tease my nipples. I gasped at the electricity of that simple contact, our mouths finally parting and allowing him to quickly tug off the material and fully bare my breasts. His lips trailed burning hot kisses down my neck as he massaged my sensitive flesh, his touch sending a shiver wracking through my body.

"Oh, I've missed this. I've missed _you_ ," he murmured against my skin, before taking one of my nipples into his mouth. I moaned, my hands digging into his hair. The red-brown strands were the perfect length for knotting my fingers in, and I yanked on his head to encourage him as he licked and stroked my breasts. His every movement made my core tighten, wetness pooling between my thighs as we continued to grind against each other. I was already imagining how good it would feel when was inside of me, how it would feel when we were finally joined again.

"Edward, I need you," I whimpered, wriggling beneath him as pleasure rolled through my veins. Edward—who always seemed to know just what I needed—was already sliding his hands downward, looping his clever fingers beneath the waistband of my pants. We both wriggled and shifted as he peeled my leggings off down my legs, my underwear quickly following. Then after what felt like a lifetime, his fingers were finally dipping into my wet heat.

Oh god, it was even better than I remembered. My core tightened as he pushed in two fingers, gripping hard as he started to thrust. His every stoke made me tremble, the pleasure searing and building with every second that passed. His fingers were inside of me, my walls clenching as he moved in and out, curling and exploring. His thumb was on my clit, circling the ball of nerves and pulling cry after cry from my lips. I started rolling my hips in time with his thrusting hand, forcing him deeper, urging him to give me just that little bit more. I was so close to falling apart, my legs shaking, my breaths crazy and erratic.

And when Edward thrust his fingers against my g-spot with a hard push, I shattered, my elation consuming me as I orgasmed. My tense, nervous body finally relaxed as bliss swept over me, my desperate need for Edward finally dulling.

He had said yes. He wanted to be with me. We were going to be together. The thoughts flew through my mind in a daze of happiness. But though I no longer felt like I would die without his touch, I was by no means sated.

I needed him. All of him.

As the tremors in my body started to calm, I helped him unbutton his pants, my feet pushing the material down his legs. Then he was just as naked as me, all of his skin touching all of mine. We were kissing again, his mouth hot and hard against mine, dominant and controlling and everything I needed. I liked being independent, liked being in control of my life, but not all the time. I needed to stop every once in a while. That was what Edward gave me. Edward gave me the chance to just relax and give in.

Because I trusted him. I knew he would look after me. And he made me feel so fucking good while he did it.

His erection was between my thighs now, sliding through my folds as he rolled his hips. I moaned at the feeling, quivering with him so close to my entrance. He was so close. _So close._ Edward's hands grabbed mine and lifted my arms above my head so that I was completely splayed beneath him. I couldn't touch him, couldn't pull him closer, couldn't do anything but dig my nails into his palm. Then, with one hand holding my arms down above me and the other cupping my ass, he slowly pushed inside of me.

It was so unlike all the other time's we had had sex. Most of those times had been fast and furious, filled with lust and desire we caved in to in the spur of the moment. But though this hadn't really been planned either, it was different. There was emotion, tenderness, completeness. Edward buried his cock inside of me inch by inch so that I could feel all of him, so that we could savour coming together again. And when he was finally seated, we didn't move, instead enjoying the moment, my walls fluttering around him. Oh, he filled me up so much. He was so hot and hard and right there in my core.

Then, ever so slowly, we started rolling our hips together. With every movement he slid all the way out, and then thrust all the way in, the sex slow but powerful. His fingers were laced with mine, his green eyes staring into my brown eyes with every push. The only sounds in the room were the occasional squeak of the weight bench, and our heavy breaths as we made love.

As the tension and pleasure built between us, we started moving faster. As we moved our bodies in the most intimate of dances, the joy and euphoria grew with every thrust. With my arms held prisoner in his grip, I was completely vulnerable, and it was wonderful to give in to the pleasure, to give in to him. But soon it got to the point where all thoughts of slow and careful had to go, and Edward started passionately slamming into to me, both of us trembling as we grew closer and closer to climax. When Edward's movement grew erratic I knew he was almost there, and his hand shifted to my clitoris to give me the push I needed.

Together we orgasmed, clinging to each other as we were overwhelmed with ecstasy. My nails dug into Edwards's hand, his fingers gripping mine with a death grip as we both cried out our pleasure. I saw stars as my body trembled, and it felt like eternity before I began to calm down, returning my attention to the world around me. Edward's body was hard and hot against mine, our legs intertwined as we both panted. His head rested next to mine on the weight bench, his green eyes watching me intently.

"Are we really going to do this?" he asked softly, one of his hands reaching up to stroke my cheek.

"Yes," I breathed, leaning forwards to press my lips to his. "I… I don't think we could stop, even if we wanted to," I continued. Edward grinned.

"No. No stopping. I'm not giving you up," he said firmly. His voice had an edge of pain that made me frown.

"Edward—" I started to ask, but he cut me off.

"I was engaged once. In college. I loved her, but she cheated on me," he confessed, his eyes sad. The declaration made my whole body freeze.

"That's why I slept with so many other women. Because I didn't want to commit again. To risk losing someone again," he continued quietly. "It worked out well. They didn't care, and neither did I. The sex was just to get rid of the urge, to help get over pain, to stop being alone."

"You're not alone now," I murmured, tracing his jaw with my fingers. And I meant it. Now, finally, I knew why he did the things he did. Because he was lonely, but didn't want to trust. Just like me.

"No, I'm not alone. Because of you. That first night when we had sex Bella, I saw how you completely gave in to it. Gave in to me. And I realised I wanted it again. I wanted to have someone trust me. I admit, I had sex with one woman after we were together that first night. But it wasn't the same anymore. After that, you've been the only one in the last three weeks." He explained. "Seeing how you just let go of control, even on a one night stand, was so different to anyone else. So different to how you usually are." Now it was my turn to be sad.

"I know. I'm not… good at being vulnerable." I replied. I had been alone a long time. No one had understood, no one had been worth the risk. Until now.

We both moved at the same time, our mouths meeting in a passionate kiss. Edward's arm looped around my waist and pulled me close, our bodies pressed together our lips moved in tandem. Groaning at the pleasure, I clutched at his shoulder, moulding myself against him.

Then suddenly we were falling. I yelped as we broke apart, both of us falling to the floor as we rolled off the weight lifting bench and onto the ground. Fortunately, it was a short drop. I ended up on top of Edward's naked body, my arms locked around his neck.

"Oops!" I exclaimed, clapping a hand to my mouth.

"Looks like someone got a little too excited," Edward said with a chuckle. I scowled, releasing my grip on him and pushing myself into a sitting position.

"Oh, because you weren't interested at all?" I retorted, and he grinned. He sat upwards, scooping me into his lap and kissing me again.

"I can promise you Bella, that I am very, very interested," he whispered when we broke apart. I smiled.

"Yeah, well, you're going to have to put that interest on hold for a while. We're at work. Someone could walk in on us any second," I replied.

"But—"Edward started to protest.

"Do you want one of the squad to see me naked?" I asked. Edward balked.

"No," he answered firmly.

"Then we have to get dressed," I said, shifting out of his grasp. I grabbed my clothes from the floor, pulling them back on. At first Edward didn't move, instead watching me with a roguish grin, but a stern look from me sent him finding his own clothes. Soon we were both dressed and moving towards the door, carefully peering out the small window to check the way was clear.

"Doesn't look like there's anyone out there," I whispered. Standing behind me, Edward lightly held onto my waist with his hands.

"Good," he murmured. Then he was suddenly spinning me around and kissing me hard, his hands tangling in my long dark hair. I gasped.

"Edward…" I protested half-heartedly, torn between not wanting to get caught and loving the feeling of his lips against mine.

"Just one more kiss," he mumbled, his mouth still pressed to mine. I moaned and then surrendered, my hands griping his shoulders and pulling him close. His lips furiously moved against mine as our tongues battled, both of us lost in the kiss.

So lost that we didn't even notice someone had opened the door and spotted us until they spoke loudly.

"What the fuck?" a male loudly swore, both us jumping and pulling apart. My heart pounding from a mixture of pleasure and worry, I turned to face the doorway. Jasper was standing there, his mouth gaping open.

Oh no. He had seen us. He had seen Edward and me kissing.

It wasn't that I wanted to keep our relationship secret forever. But we had only just worked things out 2 minutes ago, and announcing to our police unit that we were dating because of a one night stand really needed some planning…

"Were you…? Did you two just…?" Jasper stammered, shock making it impossible for him to speak properly. His eyes kept moving between me and Edward like he was watching a tennis match.

Crossing my arms anxiously over my chest, I glanced towards Edward. What were we supposed to do now? Hopefully he had some idea of how to get out of this mess.

But Edward didn't speak and offer a solution. Instead, he just held his hand out in my direction. A silent question.

He was ready if I was. Ready to the throw all caution to the wind and just go for it.

Sucking in a deep breath, I laced my fingers with his. As long as I was with Edward, everything would be okay.

But though I had thought it was impossible, Jasper's eyes widen even further seeing us holding hands.

"Yes, we were kissing," Edward replied nonchalantly. As if he was announcing something as simple as the time.

"But you two…" Jasper asked slowly, filled with bewilderment.

"We're together," I answered firmly.

"But that doesn't make sense. He has too many relationships, and you don't have enough." Jasper replied with confusion.

"They do say opposites attract," Edward replied with a grin.

"We're not opposites," I disagreed quietly, stepping closer to Edward and squeezing his hand. He glanced down at me, his smile becoming soft.

"No. We're a perfect match," he said. I grinned back, leaning into his side.

Edward was right. We _were_ perfect for each other. We understood each other, understood each other's thoughts and pain and desires. And our passion and attraction… there was no questioning it.

We were meant to be together.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Birthday Seduction**

 **3 Months Later**

I woke up to the tingling sensation of fingertips stroking down my spine. I shivered at the touch, clutching the bed sheet tighter in my hands as I burrowed deeper into the mattress. I knew in that subconscious, instinctive way that it was too early to be awake, and I have no intention of getting up any earlier than necessary.

My boyfriend had other intentions.

I trembled again as Edward's warm fingers ran back up my back, teasing what he knew was of my most sensitive spots.

"Edward…" I moaned, half in pleasure and half in irritation. Against my will I was rapidly waking up, even though I would much rather stay asleep. But as his hand trailed along my back for the third time, once again sending electric shock of pleasure through me, I had to admit it was awfully nice to wake up to happiness such as this.

"Time to wake up, Bella," Edward crooned softly, his warm body moving closer to mine so that his lips could start lightly brushing along my neck.

"It's too early," I protested, my voice muffled by my pillow. Edward chuckled.

"But _I_ want you to," he replied, his mouth moving from my neck to softly nibbled on my ear. "It's my birthday. You have to do what I want," he whispered. I couldn't help but smile at the childlike wanting in his voice. Sighing, I twisted and rolled so that I lay on my side facing him. Edward's bright green eyes stared back at me.

"Good morning baby," he said, grinning as his hand reached across the bed to stroke my cheek. I grinned back.

"Morning birthday boy," I answered, leaning forward to press my lips against his. Edward eagerly responded to my kiss, tugging my body flush against his our as mouths moved together. I whimpered at the fiery pleasure as our tongues touched, tangling my hands in his hair.

I would never get used to this. And I didn't want to. I loved how no matter how many times he touched me, I always got the same thrill. How we would make out until we were both gasping for breath, panting as we leaned against each other.

"You always taste so good," Edward groaned when we broke apart, his hands gripping my hips as his thumbs swirled patterns on the bare skin above my sleep shorts.

"So do you," I replied. Edward grinned.

"Is that true, or are you just telling me what I want to hear?" he asked jokingly. I rolled my eyes. Edward loved teasing compliments out of me. He still used the same sexual jokes and suggestive comments as he had four months ago when we had first slept together.

"What do you think?" I retorted, shifting my hands from his hair so that I could run my fingers across his face. I loved feeling his sharp cheekbones beneath my palms, and I loved the little half smile it always brought to his face.

"I think that you were wrong about me being a birthday boy," Edward said, his eyes sparkling mischievously. He rolled his hips forward against my thighs, his hard erection pressing against me through his boxers. "Does that feel like a boy's cock Bella?" he asked huskily. I laughed. So much for being one year older and gaining some maturity.

"No, it doesn't," I answered with a smile.

"Good. Because I am a man. A really turned on man that wants to have sex with his hot girlfriend." He murmured in reply, his mouth once again claiming mine. At the same time his hands slid upward under my shirt, skimming along my belly and up to my breasts. I couldn't help but moan, my body ready to melt into his touch. However, my brain had other ideas.

"Edward, what are you doing?" I mumbled against his lips.

"I just told you Bella," he answered, this thumbs brushing over my nipples and making me arch.

"But that's against the rules…" I protested with a groan. God, I really wanted to just let him keep going with this, but…

"We said no sex in the morning before work. You promised. After what happened last time…" I gasped, squirming as he massaged my sensitive flesh. It had taken us less than a week to realise we needed to set some ground rules on sex if we wanted to keep our jobs. The rest of our unit were okay with us dating—once they got over the shock—but it came with strings attached. There was to be no PDA near them, and definitely nothing while we were at work. That left us only mornings and nights for kissing and sex and other wonderful activities. But then there had been that one morning when we got carried away and rocked up late, our guilty expressions telling everyone what had just been doing.

That had led to the rule about no sex before work. To help us keep to the rule we had also said no sleeping naked, so there was less temptation in the morning. Not that that was helping much. Edward slept shirtless, and my tank top and shorts were hardly conservative.

"But it's my birthday. The rules don't count. I woke you up early specifically so we could do this," Edward whispered, his mouth moving down to my neck and pressing hot, open mouthed kissed against my skin. I whimpered.

"You're so bad," I muttered, even as I helped Edward tug my top over my head. He grinned.

"I know. But it's so worth it," he replied, rolling us so that his body was pressing mine into the mattress. And as Edward's lips once again met my own, all thoughts of stopping completely disappeared.

There was only ecstasy.

* * *

Holding hands with Edward as we walked down the street to work, I still couldn't quite believe he was my boyfriend. Us having sex together for the first time had been almost been an accident, and now look where we were. Never spending a night apart, sleeping over each other's houses and sneaking kisses wherever we could. It was heavenly. The loneliness from before was gone and in its place was pure joy.

Edward was doing even better than I'd thought he would giving up his playboy lifestyle. I mean, we still had sex. A lot. But there were just as many nights spent curling up watching movie than there was making love. And he thrived on it. It was crazy to think sleeping with so many women had made him lonely, but it had. But now he wasn't. Now, we had each other.

"So, I know I already got a present of the sexual kind this morning, but do I get any other presents?" Edward asked, his voice filled with curiosity. I laughed.

"Are you sure you're turning 27 today? Because you sound like a stupid horny teenager when you talk like that," I joked, elbowing his side. Edward scowled, and then quickly lunged for me in retaliation. I was expecting the movement and dodged just in time, throwing myself into a run down the sidewalk. Heavy footsteps resounded behind me as Edward chased me, hot on my heels.

He loved to do this. Joke with me until I teased him back, the humorous sparring leading to light hearted wrestling and chasing. I'd lost count of how many times I'd been pinned to the couch as he tickled me, the playfulness often turning into something more. It was one of Edward's favourite things to do, so I had baited him on purpose. But I didn't have to purposefully let him catch me. He did that all on his own, his larger strides quickly allowing him to grab hold of my waist as we reached the corner of the block. I giggled as he wrapped an arm around my middle and pulled me close.

"Now who's the bad one?" he murmured in my ear, turning me to face him. I laughed again and then tilted my head up so that he could kiss me, sighing with happiness as his mouth sweetly moved against mine. When we parted we spent a moment just staring at each other, my brown eyes locked with his green ones.

"I'm really glad I get to spend my birthday with you Bella," he said quietly, cupping my face in his hands. I smiled, giving him a light peck on the lips.

"So am I," I replied. "And you do get presents. Tonight," I continued.

"I have to wait?" he asked, linking hands with me again as we continued walking

"Well, you could have had them this morning, but you had other plans…" I said with a grin.

"Alright. Do I at least get a hint?" Edward questioned.

"Yes. You'll get one of them during the day. And it's something you've been wanting for a while," I answered. He frowned, looking puzzled.

"But I don't remember telling you anything?" he replied with bewilderment. I laughed, leaning into his side as we started to approach our police headquarters.

"I'll give you another clue then," I said, letting go of his hand as we headed up the stairs to the main entry.

"It starts with 'work' and ends with 'sex'."

* * *

Edward's mixed expression of shock and anticipation when I revealed what I was planning stayed in my head all morning. It wasn't one of our official rules to not have sex at work, but after we had been caught by Jasper last time, just 2 minutes after we pulled our clothes back on, we decided it was too risky. But though sex at home was still amazing, there was a certain allure to having sex when you weren't supposed to. That was the only thing we missed from before we had gotten together. The danger, mystery, and adrenaline.

Today I was going to bring that back.

Over the next three hours Edward continued to throw me expectant glances across the office. I had told him what was coming, but not when. Apparently, he expected me to just walk over to his desk and drag him into a supply closet for a quickie. Well, that wasn't going to happen. We had to be subtle. Go someplace where there was a low chance of being caught.

I knew the perfect spot.

I was relieved when training finally came around and I could change into my workout clothes. With the time for Edward and I's secret rendezvous coming closer, I had lots of excess energy to burn. Thankfully, the workout session passed quickly. Since we had announced we were dating, Edward and I had stopped pairing up at training so that we wouldn't get so distracted. But even though I working with Tyler instead, I couldn't stop glancing around for Edward.

Thinking about sex all morning had me itching for his touch. Now.

I sighed in relief when Emmett called our exercise session to an end. As a mob we grabbed out stuff and headed for the showers, all of us hot and sweaty. I made myself walk slower so that I was close to Edward when we got the showers, one door leading to the men's change room and the other to the women's. Instead of disappearing into the female showers right away, I lingered in the doorway and caught Edward's eye.

I crooked a finger at him, beckoning him over. He raised his eyebrows at me, a silent question. I nodded in return.

It was time.

Now, everything was up to Edward. He needed to sneak away from the group if we were going to do this. I pushed my way into the women's showers and paused right near the door, listening to see if he was coming. For a few seconds all I could hear was the usual rowdy chatter as the men crowded into their own change rooms. Then, I heard the voice I was waiting for.

"Damn, I left my shirt in the gym. I'll be back in a sec." A smooth and deep voice said from the other side of the wall. A voice I would recognise anywhere. Then, I heard footsteps heading away. Soon after, the rest of the men disappeared and everything fell silent. I waited with bated breath, listening hard for any sign of Edward's return. And just when I was about to give up, the door suddenly flew open.

Edward rushed in like a man starved for air, quickly grabbing hold of me and crushing his mouth against mine. I groaned, locking my arms around his neck and tugging him closer.

Finally. We had had sex just this morning, but I was already filled with a desperate desire for him. And if the furious movement of his lips was any indication, he wanted me just as badly. We didn't stop kissing until we had no choice but to break apart for air, clinging to each other as we panted.

"You're - the - best - girlfriend - ever," Edward gasped, kissing me softly for every word that he spoke. I giggled in response.

"I'm glad you're happy," I answered with a grin. "Now did you want to take my clothes off, or should I?" I asked. Edward grinned back.

"You know I like to do it," he replied, kissing me again. As he did I unhooked my arms from his neck and took hold of his hands, pulling us both deeper into the change room. Thankfully I knew the layout pretty well, and could walk us both backwards into the nearest shower cubicle without crashing into any walls. Then I let myself get lost in his touch, moaning when pressed me hard against the wall as he devoured my mouth.

It was hard to believe it was Edward's birthday when I was getting just as spoiled.

We stopped kissing so that Edward could tug my sports bra up over my head—he was getting really good at that now—before he immediately bent down and took one of my nipples into his mouth. I cried out, my nails digging into his shoulders as he licked and teased my pink flesh. His clever fingers swirled and drew patterns on my other breast, sending a flood of electricity through my body and making wetness pool in my centre. When his teeth lightly grazed my skin, I gasped.

"Edward," I moaned, leaning heavily against the wall at my back, the only thing keeping me upright. Fuck, how was he so good at this? And why did it feel so amazing every damn time? My whole body was wracked with tremors as his mouth moved slowly down my front, his hands looping under the waist band of my shorts. I twitched as his tongue circled around my belly button, and shivered a second time when his lips reached my panty line. He was so close. So close to where I needed him most. He bent over to skim both my underwear and shorts down my legs, leaving me naked before him.

Then I did the unthinkable.

"Edward, stop!" I exclaimed, his hand on my thigh pausing before it could reach my wet core. He glanced up at me surprise.

"Bella? What's wrong?" he asked, rising so that his palms could cup my face. His voice was packed with concern.

"Nothing. You're amazing. But it's your birthday. I want to make you feel good first," I whispered breathlessly, stepping up on my tippy-toes to press my lips to his. Then we were switching rules, and I was the one trailing my hands down his body. I ran my fingers over his broad shoulders, his muscled arms. I kissed my way down his chest, swirling my tongue over his smooth skin. Then finally I was dropping to my knees before him and pulling his pants down to his ankles, freeing his hard cock.

I didn't hesitate before gripping his member with both hands, making him hiss and lean back against the shower wall behind him. I ran my hands up and down his erection, swiping my thumb over his head and making him jerk a second time. Edward groaned, looking down at me with eyes full of need. That was all the encouragement I needed before leaning forward and taking his cock into my mouth.

"Fuck, Bella," Edward cursed as I swirled my tongue around the tip of his member. I kept one hand gripping his base I slowly sucked him in deeper, starting to move back and forth. I could feel him trembling slightly as I got into a rhythm, moving my hand and mouth in time as I took deep, even breaths. Soon Edward's hands reached down to tangle in my hair, guiding me in the pace he wanted.

"Yes. That's it," he groaned as I hollowed my cheeks and sucked harder. When I lightly grazed his cock with my teeth—which I knew he loved—he started to twitch in my mouth.

"Oooh fuck," he whispered, tightening his grip on my head as I moved faster. I felt him growing more tense and stiff with every pass, so I started alternating my tongue movement with teeth, bringing him higher. It took just a few more well planned licks of my tongue against his most sensitive spots before he was exploding, crying out as he climaxed. It was something I loved to watch, his usually perfect control shattering. It was exhilarating to know I could bring him as much pleasure as he brought me.

I didn't stop moving as he began to still, continuing my movements to help him calm down. Slowly his grip on my hair relaxed, and then his hands were under my arms and helping me up off the floor.

"That was amazing," he groaned, kissing me. Then he grinned. "But now it's my turn to play with you," he continued. I smiled, giving him a kiss in return.

"Yes please. But first…" I replied, pulling back slightly so that I could turn the shower tap behind me. Immediately a stream of warm water spilled over our heads, making us both gasp and sigh. In an instant we were crushing our lips together, the combination of water pounding on my back and Edward's tongue in my mouth making me shiver as we kissed. Edward's hands easily skimmed up and down my wet sides, the water making everything hot and slick. When he turned us so that I was the one pressed against the wall instead of him, I gasped at the coolness of the tiles against my chest. My nipples immediately hardened into peaks, despite the warm steam rising around us. At my back Edward's body was hot, his cock once hard and erect as it pressed into my ass. How he managed to recover so quickly, I had no idea.

But all thoughts and questions flew out of my head a second later when Edward's right hand moved forward to stroke my stomach. He traced a few tantalising swirls as his fingers drifted lower, before dipping down to glide his hand through my wetness and cup my sex. I whimpered with need as his thumb lightly grazed my clit, before he pushed one digit inside. My inner walls fluttered in response, and my hands scrabbled against the wall, desperate for something to hold on to.

"Edward," I gasped, failing to find anything to grip. Squirming as he started to move in and out of my core, Edward's free hand stopped fondling my breasts and took my palm in his. He braced both our left arms against the wall, his fingers lacing with mine as he added a second finger to his slow thrusts. Letting out a mewling sound, I leaned my forehead against the cold wall to try and quell the fire burning inside of me.

Oh, it was so good. The way he curled his fingers and touched that spot I loved… Damn, he was so good. He was… stopping?

I cried out in disappointment when his fingers pulled out from my wet heat and didn't return, leaving me quivering against the wall. I was about to protest when Edward moved his mouth to the side of my head and whispered in my ear.

"I want to try something," he murmured, the fingers that had been stroking me a second ago taking hold of my free hand. Then he brought our linked hands back down to my crotch.

"I want you to touch yourself, Bella," he whispered, steering my fingers forward so that they hovered just outside my entrance. I jerked in surprise at the movement and his words, my chest constricting as my breaths turned into pants.

"I want to watch. I want to help you make yourself orgasm," he continued, the need in his voice making me tremble. Ever so slowly, I pushed two fingers into my wetness, Edward's hand cupping mine and guiding the movement. Then, we moved out.

"That's it," Edward encouraged as together we fell back into a rhythm. I could hear my heart beating furiously in my ears, matching the roar of the shower as I thrust in and out, the knowledge that Edward was helping me finger myself making everything heightened. I could feel my inner walls expanding and contracting over my own hand, feel my juices with my won fingers. Soon I started rolling my hips in time with my pushes, a movement that made Edward hum in satisfaction. Water was still streaming over our bodies, steam building the mood and filling my lungs. As my climax started building, Edward's thumb started circling my clit again, helping me go higher.

But that was nothing compared the surge of lust I felt when with my next thrust, my two fingers were joined with one of his. I cried out as the three digits stretched my walls, the thought of both of our fingers inside me sending a wracking shiver through my body. When Edward pulled our fingers out and the pushed back in, I swore. My core clenched hard around our joined fingers so that I could feel every inch of them inside of me.

"Oh fuck," I whimpered, my whole being consumed with electric tension and pleasure. God, it was so different like this. Edward's hand pleasuring me was amazing, but when it was both of us… it was earth shattering. It was so sensual, so intimate. Even though it was my hand, Edward was in control. Edward was guiding our fingers in and out of my wetness, filling me up over and over. Then he was curling his finger against my g-spot as he sped up our thrusts, bring me right to the edge. I screamed at the ecstasy, panting as if I had run a marathon. And then I was climaxing, my orgasm shuddering through me and forcing me limp in Edward's hold. I rested my cheek against the wet tiles, trying to soak in the coolness as the burning heat in my belly calmed.

"That was so hot," Edward said quietly into my ear, as he pulled out our fingers. Both of our hands were coated in my wetness, but it was quickly washed away by the shower. Trying to pull myself together, I glanced over my shoulder at Edward. He was watching me with bright eyes, his face beaded with water droplets. His hair was damp and plastered to his forehead in a way that made me itch to touch it.

He was so handsome. So attractive. So desirable. I wanted him.

"Are you ready baby?" he asked, his free arm wrapping around my stomach and pulling my ass flush against his hips. My breaths hitched as I felt his erect cock behind me, knowing that soon he would be buried inside of me. I nodded, twisting once again to face the wall. Edward pulled us both back a step so we had more room to move, steering my hands to brace against the wall in front of me. With my upper body half bent over like this, it would be a better angle for both of us.

Shifting his hands downward, Edward skimmed his fingers along my arms and down my sides as he moved, making me shiver with anticipation. Eventually one of his hands settled on my hip, the other gripping his hardness and sliding it between my thighs. I titled my hips back to give him more access as he rocked his erection through my wet folds, my inner walls clenching in anticipation. Then he was angling his next roll of his hips upwards, his cock pushing inside of me inch by glorious inch. I trembled as stretched me, digging my nails into the wall as I moaned.

"Yes," Edward breathed when he was fully seated. Then he was pulling back out slowly, and thrusting back in, making us both groan. Fuck, sometimes the first few strokes were the best, my inner walls still adjusting and gripping every part of him as he searched for the best angle. For a while Edward alternated with high and low thrusts, alternately grinding against the front and back of my core. Then as we started moving faster, his movements became more erratic and less controlled. The pounding water of the shower made everything slick and wet so that he could easily slam into me, his fingers digging into my hipbones as his balls slapped against my ass.

"Oh Bella," he groaned, starting to swivel his hips as he thrust into me. The extra grinding motion made me whimper, Edward's erection starting to jerk as he approached his orgasm. Sensing I wasn't as close he reached a hand between my thighs to press on my clit, circling the sensitive nub and making me clench around him. With the dual stimulations I soon started quivering, climaxing just seconds after Edward as he twitched inside of me.

"Edward!" I cried as I shattered, ecstasy radiating through me and blasting my senses. Edward's groan of release matched my own cry, both of us panting from the exhilaration. His grip on my hips kept me upright as I trembled, my heart thundering in my chest. Then he was slipping out of me and wrapping an arm around my waist, pulling me flush against his body and back into the spray of the shower. The steaming water woke me up from my blissful daze, and I glanced upwards to see his green eyes watching me. When he caught my gaze he grinned.

"Best birthday day ever," he said, running his hands through my wet hair. Cuddling into his chest and blinking water droplet from my eyelashes, I smiled back.

"Well, you made my birthday pretty memorable. I wanted to do the same for you," I replied.

"Huh. This did all start on your birthday, didn't it? And now the tables have turned. Instead of me seducing you, you're the one seducing me," he replied with a laugh. I raised my eyebrows up at him.

"I don't think I really seduced you that much," I protested. Edward shook his head.

"Yes you did. You are very, very tempting Bella," he murmured huskily, his lips finding mine and giving me a soft kiss. Despite the fact we had just had sex 2 minutes ago, it still sent tingles through my every limb. Glancing up at him when we parted, I smiled.

"I'm really glad we decided to play that game of seduction, Edward," I said quietly, looping my arms around his neck and packing the words with emotion. The thought of what this day could have been like, if not for that one decision, made me cringe. I didn't ever want to lose him. Being with him was too good, too perfect.

Edward grinned down at me, cupping my face in his hands.

"Me too, Bella. Me too."

 **The End**

* * *

 **Thanks for reading. :)**


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